Sunday, October 07, 2012

Commiserating The Afflicted State

“(T)he institution of slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise,” Hubbard wrote. “The blacks who could endure those conditions and circumstances would someday be rewarded with citizenship in the greatest nation ever established upon the face of the Earth."

A deputation from the yearly meeting of the people called Quakers, held in Philadelphia, for Pensylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and the western parts of Maryland and Virginia, having signified to the President their desire of presenting an address to Congress:

Resolved, That the President inform them that Congress will receive their address to-morrow at 12 o'clock.

Being through the favour of Divine Providence met as usual at this season in our annual Assembly to promote the cause of Piety and Virtue, We find with great satisfaction our well meant endeavours for the relief of an oppressed part of our fellow Men have been so far blessed, that those of them who have been held in bondage by Members of our Religious Society are generally restored to freedom, their natural and just right.

...

We have long beheld with sorrow the complicated evils produced by an unrighteous commerce which subjects many thousands of the human species to the deplorable State of Slavery.

The Restoration of Peace and restraint to the effusion of human Blood we are persuaded excite in the minds of many of all Christian denominations gratitude and thankfulness to the all wise controller of human events; but we have grounds to fear, that some forgetfulness of the days of Distress are prompted from avaricious motives to renew the iniquitous trade for slaves to the African Coasts, contrary to every humane and righteous consideration, and in opposition to the solemn declarations often repeated in favour of universal liberty, thereby increasing the too general torrent of corruption and licentiousness, and laying a foundation for future calamities.

We therefore earnestly solicit your Christian interposition to discourage and prevent so obvious an Evil, in such manner as under the influence of Divine Wisdom you shall see meet.

To this have we descended: that one of our major political institutions openly proclaims slavery was a good thing, including a good thing for the slaves themselves.

I know Jefferson could not bring himself to free his own slaves during his lifetime. At least he seems to have perceived this as a failure in his own character. Meanwhile, over two centuries later, some Republicans seem to think we did the slaves a favor, imposing involuntary servitude.

Lest you think it has to do primarily with the state of Arkansas or any other region, my father was born in Arkansas, and was a lifelong proponent of racial equality who stood for his principles in the context of the public school system for which he worked (HISD). It was not an easy road, but he walked it.

The problem with racism dwells in racists, not regions. We still have some battles to fight, if the US lasts long enough for us to fight them.